The Kirkus Prize is one of the richest literary awards in the world, with a prize of $50,000 bestowed annually to authors of fiction, nonfiction and young readers’ literature. It was created to celebrate the 81 years of discerning, thoughtful criticism Kirkus Reviews has contributed to both the publishing industry and readers at large. Books that earned the Kirkus Star with publication dates between November 1, 2014, and October 31, 2015 (see FAQ for exceptions), are automatically nominated for the 2015 Kirkus Prize, and the winners will be selected on October 15, 2015, by an esteemed panel composed of nationally respected writers and highly regarded booksellers, librarians and Kirkus critics.

KIRKUS REVIEW

A child with a doll demonstrates baby care in this sweet, decidedly purposeful outing.

“This is me,” begins the stroller-pushing young narrator. “And this… / is my baby doll.” On she goes to show bottle feeding, diaper changing (sans any visible sign of need for same), bathing and toweling dry, and then putting down in a rocking cradle. “Being a mommy is really hard work!” she concludes meaningfully, and so she promises to give her own mommy lots of help—with “our new baby!” Using a palette of, largely, pale pinks and blues, Dodd crafts big, simply drawn illustrations of the cheery tot with her doll (both Caucasian). They are enhanced by glued-in swatches of soft cloth representing towel and diaper, plus pull tabs that lower a stroller’s hood, empty a milk bottle and float a rubber ducky across the tub. A climactic double-flap doorway reveals mommy with both baby and new big sister on her lap.

Pushing actual child care duties off on preschoolers is a nonstarter, but this may help prepare younger prospective sibs for family changes. (Pop-up/picture book. 3-4)

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